West Virginia Population will lose, Despite National Growth

West Virginia is one of the two states that have lost the population over the past 10 years, according to a recent data analysis released by The Pew Charitable Trust's Non-Profit Trusts.

According to census data analyzed by the group, West Virginia has lost about 34,500 people since 2008. In the last decade, the data shows that the population of West Virginia fell by two-tenths per cent each year on average.

Illinois, the only other state with no population gain, showed a zero percent growth rate.

“A growing or slowly growing population can cause and influence a weakened economic outlook,” the authors said. “While a smaller population can reduce some types of expenditure, it also means that there are fewer residents to help cover the costs of long-standing commitments, such as retirement benefits and retirement benefits for state employees.” T

The researchers said there was little population growth at West Virginia and Illinois due to their location. For many years, people have been moving away from states in the North East and the Mid-West towards a warmer region with better employment opportunities and lower living costs.

West Virginia is also distinctive in that the state sees more deaths than births, and “it has recorded population losses over the past six years” according to the analysis.

The country's population growth has grown across the country. The Census Bureau expects that population trends will continue to indicate low birth rates, young baby boomes and slowdown in immigration.

The West and South were the fastest growing states, with Utah at the top of the list.